Wings and roots in entrepreneurial families: the Beckham case and the challenge of the next gen
The conflict that erupted publicly in the Beckham family is read as an affair of difficult relationships in the spotlight. In reality, it speaks closely to business families grappling with the generational transition: what happens when children raised in systems where cohesion borders on entanglement try to assert their autonomy.
The gradual estrangement of the eldest son Brooklyn from his parents, manifested in public stances, reflects a recurring tension in entrepreneurial families: strong roots which, if not accompanied by space for differentiation, risk turning into constraints rather than resources.
The Beckhams are a famous family that has become entrepreneurial over time: global brand, reputational capital and a strong link between family identity and economic value. It is a system with weak internal boundaries, where everything is intertwined, and marked external boundaries, with a constantly guarded image. It is a configuration analogous to traditional entrepreneurial families, where the affective, ownership and governance spheres tend to overlap and external reputation is fundamental.
Brooklyn grows within a strong family image. In 2016, Victoria registered her children's names as trademarks, turning the registry identity into a family brand asset. The rights expire in December 2026 and Brooklyn has already signalled its intention not to renew them. The expectation of symbolic continuity - being part of the brand, embodying its values, supporting its public narrative - reduces the space for autonomous self-construction. The processes of differentiation necessary for the development of one's identity come into tension with the sense of belonging.
Here the central issue of the relationship between roots and wings emerges. Entrepreneurial families are by their very nature oriented towards the transmission of values, vision and material and immaterial heritage. Roots represent stability, continuity and family identity; in order for continuity to be sustainable, they must be flanked by spaces for autonomy, experimentation and personal legitimisation for the next gen to develop their own trajectory.
